Chapter 227 Whatever The Queen Says

Chapter 227: Chapter 227 Whatever The Queen Says

_Alaric’s POV_

I pushed open the door to Rowena’s room, my heart pounding against my ribs like a trapped animal. Guilt was suffocating me, and it was heavy and bitter in my chest.

But the moment I stepped inside, the scene before me made my breath catch in my throat and almost killed me.

Rowena was resting on the soft mattress, yes, her injured leg propped up on a white pillow, yes, but sitting on a chair right beside her bed was no other person than the annoying doctor, Kyle.

He was leaning back casually, telling her some story in his calm voice. And Rowena, my stoic, calm, emotionally guarded Rowena, was actually smiling. A small, soft, genuine laugh escaped her lips as she looked at him.

A harsh painful squeeze tightened around my chest. Seeing her look so relaxed with another man, especially after the horrifying morning I had just lived through, felt like a blade twisting in my ribs.

"Kyle," I spoke, my voice tight as I stepped into the room. "Leave us."

Kyle stopped talking, turning his head to look at me. His eyes were guarded, as if hiding something. A feeling flashed in my chest, but i ignored it.

Taking in my disheveled outfit, my pale face, and the chaotic energy radiating off me, Kyle didn’t argue or show any fear.

He simply stood up, adjusted his coat, and gave Rowena a gentle nod.

"I will check on your ankle later this afternoon, Miss Rowena," Kyle said, before walking past me and closing the door quietly behind him.

Once the door clicked shut, the silence in the room grew heavy. I stood at the foot of her bed, unable to bring myself to step any closer.

I couldn’t hide this from her.

Other men in my position might lie or sweep it under the rug to protect themselves, but I loved Rowena far too much to build our foundation on secrets.

"Rowena," I began, my voice trembling slightly as I looked into her dark, clear eyes. "I need to tell you where I went last night."

I walked over to the chair Kyle had just emptied, sitting down and holding her hand tightly in mine. I laid out the entire truth.

I told her about Brielle’s fake call, the lake house cabin, the strange bitter taste of the alcohol, and how I woke up half naked beside Brielle with no memory of the night.

I braced myself for her anger. I prepared for her to pull her hand away, to yell, or to shut down completely.

Instead, Rowena just sat there quietly, listening to every single word. When I finished, she gave me a slow, calm nod of understanding.

I stared at her in total shock. "You... you aren’t angry?"

A small faint smirk touched Rowena’s lips. "I smelled Brielle’s scent on you the second you walked through that door, Alaric. I knew where you had been, and I was waiting to see if you would lie to me. But you told me the truth."

Before I could even process her words, Rowena reached out, grabbed my shirt collar, and pulled me close. She planted her lips firmly onto mine.

My eyes widened for a split second before I wrapped my arms around her waist, deepening the kiss with a desperate, overwhelming passion. Relief flooded my veins like sunshine, and my love for this incredible woman swelled so intensely in my chest that my eyes felt hot with unshed tears.

When I finally pulled back, resting my forehead against hers, I let out a shaky breath. "I am so sorry, Rowena. I should have never gone there."

Rowena let out a sigh, gently brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. "I know Brielle’s tricks, Alaric. She is desperate, and she will do anything to tear us apart. But she underestimates us. I am going to teach that girl a lesson she will never forget."

"No," I said firmly, tightening my grip on her hand. "Do not dirty your hands with her. I will handle Brielle."

Just then, a chime rang out from Rowena’s phone on the nightstand. A second later, my own phone vibrated violently in my pocket.

Rowena picked up her screen, her eyes scanning the notification before she shook her head with a cold mocking laugh. "She really planned this whole circus down to the minute, didn’t she?"

I pulled out my phone and looked at the screen. A major pack gossip blog had just published a breaking news article: Alpha King Alaric Spotted Leaving Private Mountain Resort at Dawn, Brielle Logan Exits Minutes Later.

"Tell Gabriel to take it down immediately," Rowena said calmly, setting her phone back down on the table without a single trace of panic.

I didn’t hesitate. I opened a direct mindlink with Gabriel.

‘Gabriel. Scrub that news article off every server in the territory right now. Find the person who posted it and freeze their broadcasting license.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty! On it immediately!’ Gabriel’s voice echoed back in my mind.

I closed the link, turning back to Rowena. "It is being handled."

Rowena looked up at me, her eyes flashing with coldness. "Taking down the news isn’t enough, Alaric. It is time to punish the Logan family. Her parents raised her to be an arrogant, manipulative menace. They are responsible for what she has become, and they need to pay for her actions."

I stood up from the chair, nodding in agreement. "I agree. I will head to the council hall right now and deal with her father."

If the Queen says they deserved punishment, then they did.

I turned toward the door, ready to march out and crush the Logan family’s standing forever.

"Alaric," Rowena called out softly from the bed.

I stopped and looked back over my shoulder.

Rowena offered me a beautiful, radiant smile that completely lit up her face. "I trust you."

Those three simple words washed over my heart like a warm, soothing wave, erasing every lingering trace of guilt and fear. I smiled back at her, nodded firmly, and walked out of the room to take care of business.